Toronto Blue Jays: Comparing Past to Present Postseason Rosters

With the Blue Jays now confirmed to be in the postseason, it’s okay to reminisce a little about the last time the team was in the playoffs. Nostalgia and good vibes can be fuel to any fire of anticipation. This 2022 group of Blue Jays has a legitimate chance to make a deep run into October, despite not winning their division.

This is a vastly different group than we saw last time around, and I’d like to compare the last playoff team to the one we’ll see this weekend. However, it’s important to remember just what year Toronto made the playoffs last, as it wasn’t back in 2016.

The autumn of 2020 saw an up and coming Blue Jays team take on the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays in a three game wild card series (a series that has potential of happening yet again) down at Tropicana field. It’s easy to forget this postseason appearance, as it lasted only two games, both of which weren’t particularly noteworthy for the Jays. The club rode a 32-28 record into the last remaining playoff spot during the shortened 2020 season, which featured an expanded playoffs. It’s astounding to analyze just how much this team has improved since then, as various aspects of the team have undergone a complete overhaul. It’s worth mentioning that this 2020 team also featured breakout mainstays from today’s roster, such as Teoscar Hernandez and Jordan Romano.

The 2020 year was primed to be an interesting one for Blue Jays fans, with the main storyline coming from the fact that the rookies were entering their first full MLB season. Vlad was still at third, Teoscar had yet to break out, Romano wasn’t a household name, and Rafeal Dolis was relied on to be a difference maker in that bullpen. Things change, and the 2020 season did a lot to forge new narratives on within the organization. The biggest one of all being that this club was on the cusp of taking that next step.

That next step is about to take place this weekend, and the wise and knowledgeable Chris Henderson provided us with a glimpse of what we could expect the roster to look like. So with Chris’ insight, and a bit of reminiscing, we’ll see just how far this team has come in between now and their last playoff appearance.

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2020 Starting Pitchers

Hyun Jin Ryu

Robby Ray

Matt Shoemaker

Taijuan Walker

Chase Anderson

2020 Relievers

Anthony Bass

Rafael Dolis

Ryan Borucki

Nate Pearson

A.J. Cole

Thomas Hatch

Anthony Kay

Ross Stripling

If this pitching staff was intact in 2022, this team is last in the AL East. It’s remarkable how far this staff has come, from relying on Chase Anderson and notable roster omission Tanner Roark, to having a group headlined by Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman. This was of course Hyun Jin Ryu’s best year as a Blue Jay, as he led the team in bWAR and was dominant night after night. Robbie Ray wouldn’t be a massive game changer, but his positive impression on the organization that summer would compel him to be the first free agent to sign that following offseason, and of course go on to win the Cy Young award in 2021. Matt Shoemaker missed time with an injury in 2020, but was healthy in time to start game one of the Wild Card Series. Shoemaker would throw three scoreless innings, followed by another three innings from Ray. Taijuan Walker would be an asset for the Jays down the stretch, but missed out on pitching in the playoffs.

The bullpen turnaround has been incredible to say the least. The reliever’s efforts were spearheaded by the likes of Dolis and Bass that 2020 season. Other notable contributors included A.J. Cole and Thomas Hatch, as all four of these men were top 12 in bWAR on the club during that COVID shortened year. This success was short lived however, as almost all of the aforementioned relievers would have little to no success from 2021 on. The two remaining include Anthony Bass and Ross Stripling, with the former having been reacquired at the deadline and the latter now in the starting rotation.

2020 Lineup and Bench

Biggio – 3B

Bichette – SS

Gurriel – LF

Guerrero – DH

Grichuk – CF

Hernandez – RF

Shaw – 1B

Panik – 2B

Jansen – C

Kirk, McGuire, Espinal, Tellez, Villar, Davis

The lineup was improved the same, complete way, the pitching staff was. Crucial and impact players were traded for, signed, and developed. The Blue Jays had a solid lineup in 2020, with notable seasons coming from the likes of Gurriel and Hernandez. However, the holes are very evident. Having Travis Shaw and Joe Panik starting would not fly in 2022, and having Randal Grichuk in the middle of the lineup is alarming to a degree. Since then, the Blue Jays have made significant additions, to go alongside encouraging development from their players.

Chris Henderson’s Projected Lineup

George Springer (CF)

Bo Bichette (SS)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B)

Alejandro Kirk (DH)

Teoscar Hernandez (RF)

Matt Chapman (3B)

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (LF)

Danny Jansen (C)

Whit Merrifield (2B)

Bench:  Cavan Biggio, Raimel Tapia, Jackie Bradley Jr., Bradley Zimmer, Otto Lopez

Truly masterful. There’s nothing better than having competitive and dangerous at-bats, one through nine. Everyone is capable of contributing, proven by a team 118 wRC+ from the main contributors. Springer, despite a few health concerns, has been worth every dollar given his performance in 2022. The development into stardom from Guerrero, Bo, Kirk, Gurriel, and Teoscar has fuelled this core. Contributions from hitters in the bottom of the lineup have been massive as well. Danny Jansen, though not qualified, leads the team in wRC+ at 144, which is mind-blowing.

Possibly even more mind blowing, Whit Merrifield has been a massive piece of this roster over the last two weeks. With Espinal on the IL and Biggio fading, Merrifield has stepped up and played his brand of baseball. A .351/.375/.676 slash line over his last fourteen games has been a big boost for the club, and it’s happening at the best time.

The improvements can’t be overstated, this team is ready. A Wild Card series, preferably at home, is set to host a very talented Blue Jays team. A credit to both the front office and players themselves, they’ve worked extremely hard to improve in order to make a mark in October.